Timothy, The Helpers Are to Held A High Standard (1 Timothy 3:8)

"Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere,
not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain"

(1 Timothy 3:8, NIV)

Deacon means "one who serves." I like to call deacons as "helpers" for the overseer, the same way the Holy Spirit is the Helper (John 14:26, not lower in position and power but different office) for the Lord Jesus Christ. The helpers were first created in Acts 6 when the apostles asked for seven men "who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom" to be selected to provide for "daily distribution of food" to the widows so that the apostles would give their "attention to prayer and the ministry of the word" (read Acts 6:1-7). This is the right kind of church organization! The bishop or elder or the leader is to focus primarily on the study, preaching, and teaching of the Word of God and prayer. Others are to be selected to care and help for mundane (but also important) matters that must be done.

The deacons or helpers are those who would serve in the work of the church and so these standards apply to all of them (1 Timothy 3:8-12). First, the helpers "are to be men worthy of respect" and "sincere" or as The Message puts it more plainly, they are to be "serious, not deceitful." This does not mean a false religiosity and poker-faced, but rather men who are served in all seriousness. Far from serving out of obligations, they ought to be joyful and sincere. And since their responsibilities require them to minister to those in need and therefore often involved in visitation among church members, they must keep their character (not gossipers or rumor-mongers) and attitude (serving rather than bossing) in check. In this way, they are "worthy of respect"!

Like the leader, the helpers must also "not indulge in much wine." Although wine was used as a common drink by the people in the Bible times, this historical truth cannot be used as justification for drinking today. A drunkard church helper is always bringing a bad image for the God that he is serving. In my culture, the Iban-culture, alcohol is the single greatest problem! Although there is no explicit prohibition of drinking wine or some sort of alcoholic drinks in the Bible, it did warn us about drunkenness and "indulging in much wine." To this issue, Paul elsewhere warned believers: "It is better NOT to eat meat [offer to idols] or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall" (Romans 14:21). Unbelievers expect Christians to show good examples.

One of the differences between the leader and the helpers is that the leader gets his financial need mostly from those he serves, the church (see Galatians 6:6) but the helpers are on their own. The helpers (all!) are subject to the same temptation concerning money as the leader – perhaps even more since they will be in the business world from day today. Thus, the helpers are commanded to "not pursue dishonest gain." The helpers also must be above reproach in money matters.

Dear helper, are you up to the standards above?

If yes, well done, good and faithful servant!

If not, ask God to show you in which area you should repent.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus Shows How Practical Our Faith Is: Living in the Light (1 John 1:6-7)

“So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin”
(1 John 1:6-7, NLT).

God’s light (1 John 1:5) has a special purpose. It is not a light that going to kill us. Instead, it is life-giving, nourishing, helpful light. The Apostle Paul reminds us: “For God, who said, ‘Let there be light in the darkness,’ has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). Notice that throughout John’s first letter, he speaks out against three false claims of the false teachers (verse 1:6, 8, 10). Each begins with, “If we claim/say…” Then there is a contradiction, followed by a true statement.

In verse 6, John says, “We are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth.” In other words, John is speaking against the heresy that the way we live doesn’t really matter. The way we live does matter! From the beginning of history, we are reminded that faith (what we firmly believe) and life (how we live as Christians) should reflect each other. To live in fellowship with God commits us to a life of reflecting God’s goodness. Not only are we to learn and understand the truth [in which I always promote Christian students to have good Biblical-theological thinking], but we must also do the truth. To talk about God and His goodness without really living that way is to become a hypocrite (see James 2:14-17).

Notice here how practical our faith is: God’s light not only helps us see but shows us how and where to walk. Christianity is an action-type faith. It is more than mere talk or an abstract philosophy; it helps us move toward what is right and true. And our faith also helps us grow together as the Body of Christ. Notice Bible verses about, John telling us that our fellowship (sharing, being close, enjoying being together, and so on), will grow as we walk in God’s light. Truth should lead to closeness and harmony, not misunderstanding or rivalry, or separation. To walk in the light, then, is to be open, honest, and sincere, to hide nothing, and to be real and not phony. This means being open and caring with other people as well as with God; caring about and listening to them as well as being concerned about ourselves.

To me, a good example of phoniness is the person who pretends to care. Such a person may show an initial interest in you and say, “Hi, how are you? We should hang out together next time,” but never does; or promises, “I’ll pray for you,” and doesn’t follow through. Christians are learning to be “real” people – to say what they mean and mean what they say; to become more loving and caring. Another result of walking or “living in the light” is that our sins are taken away. “The blood of Jesus… cleanses us from all sin.” The word “cleanses” means “steadily purified”; it is not something that happened only once but continues to happen every moment of every day. Therefore, living in the Light of God. Amen.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Letters to Annie:Trust God's Plans and Leave Our Present and Future Relationships to Him

Dear Annie,

            Can I ask you one thing, why you always say “God’s plan for us” in all of your letters to me? I’m a motivational readers and self-help bookers that always emphasis on human strengths and our ability to change our destiny, why you use the phrase “God’s plan”? (Is it because you’re influenced by Jamie Sullivan in A Walk to Remember novel?) At first, I’m not easy with the idea of “God’s plan” and I’m troubled by it because I have my own plan… So I searched the Scripture and after one week… I was convince that God really do have a good plan for our lives.

            The Bible makes it clear: God have a plan – a very big and good plan – and we’re (in fact all the redeemed sinners) are important parts of that plan. “You will teach me how to live a holy life,” write the Psalmist praising God, “Being with you will fill me with joy; and your right hand I will find pleasure forever” (Psalm 16:11). But here is the catch: God won’t force His plans upon us; we got to figure things out for ourselves… or not. Not figure it alone but with Him. C.S. Lewis puts it this way: “I don’t doubt that the Holy Spirit guides your decisions from within when you make them with the intention of pleasing God. The error would be to think that He speaks only within, whereas in reality He speaks also through Scripture, the Church, Christian friends, and books.”

            Annie, as followers of our Lord Jesus Christ, we should ask ourselves this question: “How closely can I make my plans match God’s plans?” and “Is our relationship is following or according to God’s plan?” I find that the more closely we manage to follow the path that God intends for our lives, the better. So if we have questions or concerns about our relationships, we must first take them to God in prayer. If we have trouble with planning for the future together, in which we will, we must consult God as we establish our priorities. Annie, thank you for always whispers “God’s plan” to my ears. As we trust the present and the future in God’s plan, we must turn every concern over to our Heavenly Father, and sincerely seek His guidance – prayerfully, earnestly, and often.

I like this quote by Elisabeth Elliot: “The God who orchestrates the universe has a good many things to consider that have not occurred to me, and it is well that I leave them to Him.” What a wise counsel!

Thank you dear Annie, my love.

I love you for always say “God’s plan for us”.

I love you for who you are.

In God’s plan we trust,

Richard

Amen?

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

When You Receive No Thanks

When you receive no thanks, you have two choices: 1) Disappointed, or 2)  Whatever, do it anyway.

“Fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth” (Joshua 24:14, NASB)

Tom Hale, long-time missionary doctor to Nepal, says in his book Don’t Let the Goats Eat the Loquat Trees:

“The concept of disinterested love is totally foreign to Nepalese because their primacy motive for good works is to acquire merit that will benefit them in the next life. Most of our patients have no sense of gratitude for our services; instead, they expect that we be grateful to them for providing us an opportunity to gain merit for ourselves. That is why ‘Thank you’ is so rarely heard in Nepal; in fact, the Nepali language has no word for it. It’s just as well. We wouldn’t last long here if we had come to receive thanks.”

If we only do good things for the sake of receiving thanks then we are going to be the most miserable men and women in the world. Instead of waiting and expecting people to give thanks – be sincere in your service toward others. “Sincerity,” writes Charles H. Spurgeon, “make the least man to be of more value than the most talented hypocrites.”

In sincerity, add obedience also. Helping others and serving the Lord because you love to obey Him. Do what is right even though nobody see and appreciates it. Be sure that God sees your good works and bless you for it. Psalms 84:11 declares: “The Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right” (NLT).

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.